A retinal implant is a biomedical device used to restore useful vision to individuals that have lost vision due to degenerative eye conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration. Retinal implants provide low resolution images by electrically stimulating retinal cells. Such images may be sufficient for restoring specific visual abilities, such as light perception and object recognition.
Retinal implants are surgically implanted into the eye of an individual and are intended to remain in place for long periods of time, so long as the implant operates properly. However, retinal implants are difficult to power. Due to their limited lifetime, batteries as a power source for retinal implants unavoidably leads to surgical removal and replacement of implants; a processes that is costly and cumbersome to the patient. Moreover, batteries add bulkiness and weight to a retinal implant; can cause adverse physical reactions in response to battery leakage or corrosion.